Jankovic, Radwanska Reach Quarter-finals

© Dubai Duty Free Tennis ChampionshipsAgnieszka Radwanska overcame Shahar Peer in straight sets.

Jelena Jankovic continued to defy her injury, and Agnieszka Radwanska won a tight battle against Shahar Peer as both players advanced into the quarter-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Wednesday. Eighth-seeded Jankovic overcame Flavia Pennetta 6-4, 6-2, while fifth-seeded Radwanska defeated Peer 7-5 6-4.

Jankovic has been suffering from a muscle tear that is still not healed and she played with strapping on her left leg, but she showed little sign of discomfort as she recovered from a difficult start.

Pennetta took an early lead, breaking for 3-1 on her sixth break point, but Jankovic responded by breaking back immediately and then again for a 4-3 lead before going on to take the set. She then took a 3-0 lead in the second set to put herself firmly on the road to victory.

"It wasn't an easy match at all," said Jankovic. "I think from the start we were back to back. There were some really tight games. It could have gone either way.

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"I hung in there. I was down a break in the first in the beginning, and then I lifted up my game and I started playing a lot more aggressively and I started controlling the points a lot better and I put pressure.

"And especially I think as well I served a lot better than her. I was holding my service games and I was waiting for the opportunities to break her."

The quality of the match came as no surprise to tournament director Salah Tahlak, who said, "We were able to enjoy an exciting performance from two very fine players who fought for every ball. The momentum swung one way and then the other, and the winners were the fans who were able to witness some wonderful tennis."

Radwanska did well in Doha last week, reaching the semi-finals, but she struggled on Tuesday to overcome qualifier Aleksandra Wozniak and had to work hard to defeat a resilient opponent in Peer.

Although Radwanska took an early lead and led 3-0, Peer not only levelled at 3-3 but went to break again to lead 5-4. However, she failed to serve out the set as Radwanska broke her for 5-5 and again for the set.

The second set was also closely contested, with Radwanska almost wasting her 5-2 lead as Peer staged a determined fightback.

The WTA Tour event continues until February 25th and play then continues on February 27th with the ATP World Tour tournament featuring eight of the world’s top 10, including reigning Dubai, Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, four-time winner Roger Federer, sensational Scot Andy Murray, charismatic Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, recent Montpellier winner Tomas Berdych and American number one Mardy Fish.

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is owned and organised by Dubai Duty Free and held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.